Washington Nationals: 5 To Watch In Weekend Matchup Versus Mets

Jay Bruce

If there’s one position where the Mets have a lot of depth on their roster, it’s the outfield. All offseason, the talk was around whether or not New York would trade Jay Bruce after he struggled in the second half of last season (.226 average).

But, Bruce is proving all the doubters wrong and looking like the hitter like he was in Cincinnati. On Wednesday night, he had all five RBI’s against Philadelphia, including a game-winning two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth.

So far, Bruce is tied for the team lead in home runs (six), has the team lead in RBI’s (14), and is second in hits (17). He is known for his power, but the 30-year-old has had three three-hit games already this year.

While Bruce only hit .229 against the Washington Nationals in 2016, he did have three home runs and drove in seven runs. He is one of the few Mets who have success against Scherzer in their respective careers (3-for-7, one home run, two RBI’s).

With the injuries to Cespedes and Duda, Bruce had to play first base last night, a position he doesn’t play that often. If the Cespedes injury ends up being serious, the Mets will need Bruce to keep up this great start.

It is safe to say that as of right now, the Mets fans have to be happy that Bruce wasn’t traded over the winter. But, they are still trying to figure out how to get third year outfielder Michael Conforto in the lineup against right-handed pitching.